Turtles

Last evening Ed and I rowed to shore to take a walk along the breakwater. As we got up there closest to the park several turtles where in the wash munching on vegetation that grows on the rocks.  We could see them in the waves as they started to break and they kept popping up for air as well.  Every size.  We saw one in a little cove area which we could walk down to and we did.  Ed put his camera under the water and this is what we got!  Pretty cool huh?

Last 2 days with a car...

Our last two days with a vehicle had us running all over making sure we had everything 'heavy to carry' or 'anything with a possible long bus ride' covered.  Four stores and 5 round trips to shore and back, we now have most things.  Unfortunately much time was lost looking for and then canceling what we thought was a lost a credit card!  After cancelling, Ed found it in one of my pockets.  I had looked, but without my glasses and saw what I thought was mine.  Ugg...headaches we don't need. 

One of the things Ed said he couldn't get over, being out at sea for so long, was the feeling of not having enough food.  I found it odd, because we loaded this boat with so much food he could have been on it for months and not gone hungry.  He said it didn't matter somehow.  Consequently I spent one day repacking the entire storage areas to accommodate all the new food we picked up.  He seems secure that now he has plenty.  I finally got my first sunrise in Hilo, which was quickly covered with clouds.

We managed to squeeze in a trip to Kona, taking the 'saddle back' road which cuts between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.  It was a warm day-apparently unusually warm as we heard the radio DJ say she "thought she saw the ocean boiling."  But some clouds rolled in and cooled it a bit.  Visited Hulihe'e Palace - a beautiful home on the water used by Hawaiian royalty.  It wasn't good to be royalty back then, not may lived to see 30 years.  No beach time.  A little shopping for souvenirs and back to the other side of the island.

Hawaiian Time

6/7-11/14
ALOHA! Well I know you feel the same as I do for Ed!  Woot, Woot!  What an incredible voyage and on top of it all - solo!!  Great accomplishment.  He is as brown as a bean and on the thin side, but otherwise no worse for wear, the salty dog that he is! 

Ok. Well I'm here now, so the blog changes back to story time...
Hilo...best described as a hot winter in Seattle.  Gosh.  Ed loves it, but I gotta tell ya...for those of you who have never been in the south in summer after a hot rain, you will not understand when I say you can cut the air with a knife.  That's here - 24/7.  I wake up sticky and go to bed sweating.  I'm going to try not to complain more than that except to say that I'd rather it just pour than be so humid, which it does right when we decide its time to row to shore! (did I say I wasn't going to complain?)  The up side is being here with Ed, the experience and the vegetation.  Its spectacular.  What a garden one could have.


We went to the farmers market and $2 seems to be the price point that the locals have decided best suits buyers and they pegged me.  5 papaya for $2, 4 med size tomatoes $2, 3 med size sweet maui onions $2 and so on...best deals on the island.  Ever tried a mountain apple?  Delish...like a very mild pear.  Everything in town looks like Hawaii 5-0 (the old.)  All the buildings -everything.  Like time stopped in the late 60s/early 70s.  And with respect to cell coverage and internet...we have nothing on Mexico.  As a matter of fact, we're all getting totally ripped off by the cell/internet companies!

6/8/14 First full day was touring the wet side of the island.  Truely amazing.  This side of the island is full of lush gulches and all are lined with falls.  Stopped and enjoyed several including 'Akaka Falls.  Picnic'd and napped ocean side at Laupahoehoe Point and memorial (an area wiped out by a tsunami years ago,) went to the end of the road at Waipi'o Valley and the longest black beach. As noted earlier the vegetation is incredible, as well as the scenery.

 6-9-14 Blah! Chores of all sorts; resupplying the boat, jugging fuel, laundry, mail. Stuff Ed hasn't done in 27 days but need tending.  Doing it in 98% - exhausting.

 
6-10-14 After all the rain and mugginess, I told Ed I need some beach time.  Coming to Hawaii and not having that just doesn't seem like Hawaii in my mind.  So off to the other side of the island we went.  Ascending Manua Loa and passing through Waimea temps were cool 70-72. On descent it warms back up quickly-but what a view.  The area of Kawaihae at Hapuna beach was our stop for the day.  The water was perfect in color (blue and turquoise) and temp.  Did a little snorkeling and saw the usual - angel, parrot, and the like, fish. A little siesta on the beach and lunch.  That's how I like my Hawaii!

6-11-14 Went to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park; Kilauea Crater from top to sea.  Wow. Words can't decribe it.  My pics probably don't capture its essence either, but I'll let you decide.  We'll have to go back because they say you can see the red glow of the lava in its crater at night. It was venting heavily while we were there and we also saw many steam vents.  The lava flows blow the mind and the diffent ones are visible by color/texture.  Where they meet the sea is pretty dramatic.  The ocean pounds in so fiercely, spray rises hundreds of feet.  Viewed many petroglyphs as well.

Arrived Hilo--6-5-2014

6-5-2014 Arrived Hilo !!!

Cleared the Hilo breakwater at about 1:00Pm local time and anchored up in Radio Bay at about 1:30pm. I had low winds during the night and in morning had about 25 miles left so motorsailed the last 25 miles.

The last few days have been very nice. Blue sky with large cumulus clouds passing by and on the horizon. A little light shower most days but not for long and with no increase in wind. The wind did get lighter and never above 15 for the last three days also.

I also caught a nice 30", 8-10lb Dorado this morning at dawn. When I hauled it in I was thinking of releasing in because I really wanted a big hamburger for dinner, but when I got it in, there was too much hook damage and it wouldn't have made it. So I steamed in the pressure cooker right away and as it turned out didn't really have time to go get dinner and man was that fish good. They're so flaky and meaty tasting......yum.

Got checked in at the Hilo harbor. Very nice people, with bus schedules and maps of the area. Cost to moor is $9.24 a day. The anchorage is small but very protected. Next to a park for any easy row in and has a nice restroom with lots of hot water!!

There's maybe 7 other boats in here. I'm anchored out with two others and then there's 5 boats with bow anchor out and stern tied to the concrete quay.

Did have one bit of frustration when anchoring today. In 5 years of being very careful I've never done this. My anchor windlass has a stainless steel rod that acts as the lever to rotate the windlass when hauling in the anchor chain and the tool to loosen the chain brake with letting the chain out. I got the anchor down and let the chain out and snubbed up and as I remove the rod from the chain break, I raised up and hit the staysail stay with my hand and knock the rod out of my hand right into the water. Couldn't believe it !! Normally I just tuck the rod under the bow sprit platform right away, but no. I watch as it disappeared to the bottom. Went right away to get a snorkle and mask. The waster only 12 ft deep here, but it's a mud bottom. Visibility 1.5 feet. i couldn't even tell what was the bottom until touching it. Spent about 20 searching..no luck. Needed to go to Customs to check in, so gave up for the moment.
Anyway long story short....Decided I probably wasn't going to find it, but had the right lenght of 7/8" stainless tubing on board for another project. With the propane torch and vice grips, I flattened about 4 inches of one end so it would fit in the windlass slot, did a little filing to smooth it out and yahoo it works fine. On this one I drilled a hole and added a leash. Now I just have to use the leash.....

Speaking of Customs.... After my snorkle, I got dryed off and every thing together for checking with customs. Rowing in, I stopped by the boat Windsome, with Jay and Irwin on board. They too had left Mexico about a week and half before me and I had been following their progress on the radio net. We had spoken a couple of times via radio. They have me scoop on the harbor and buses and said Customs was friendly and an easy process, but they work 6:00am to 2:00pm. Oops to late to get there now. As it turned out I went there today, Friday, at 10:30 but the office was closed. Went back at 11:00 closed. Called the number I could see through the door and got a voice mail, so let them know who I was and I'd try them later. Went back at 1:30 still closed, called again. At about 4:30 got a call from the Customs officer, that he would be in the office at 6:00pm if I wanted to come in. So I did and turns out, he's also in the Army reserve and was doing duty today. Very nice fellow and a pleasant check in. Gave me the scoop on a farmers market down town that has good local produce.

Long post....sorry. Couldn't get my computer downtown to an internet cafe, so still no pics' Maybe tomorrow.